


Temperance

by mementomoe



Category: Original Work
Genre: Confessions, F/F, Falling In Love, Magic, Travel, human/nonhuman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-04 03:15:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13355325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mementomoe/pseuds/mementomoe
Summary: Florina was told she needed to summon a card from her family's old tarot deck. Hesitantly, she chooses to do so, only one card keeps choosing to show up.





	Temperance

**Author's Note:**

  * For [silveradept](https://archiveofourown.org/users/silveradept/gifts).



> I had a lot of fun researching meanings of various cards. While I chose to mostly play it safe through use of the well known Waite-Colman Smith deck, I mention four others.
> 
> The Infinity Tarot, created by Severino Baraldi and Pierluca Zizzi, published in 2015  
> The Steampunk Tarot, designed by Aly Fell, published in 2012  
> The Shadowscapes Tarot, designed by Stephanie Law, published in 2010  
> Twilight Realm: A Tarot of Faery by Beth Wilder, published in 2010

The deck in front of Florina was old. Her family claimed they had had it for generations. Well, maybe four or five generations counted, but as she flipped over the top card, she knew the Waite-Colman Smith deck well enough to know the angel in the front was part of that deck. The “Copyright 1910” at the bottom only made it clearer.

The word on the bottom read “Temperance.”

There were seventy eight cards, only twenty-eight percent of which were major arcana. Her mother looked across from her expectantly. The study had a room like this for readings. Her mother and grandmother before her had read for people in this room.

She put the card back on top of the deck. “I can’t do this,” Florina said to herself.

Her mother smiled, lips pressed against each other. “You’ve seen what all of us can do, Florina. You can’t pretend this is false.”

There it was. That speech. She’d grown up with the magic her family called upon the cards. The members of the Three of Cups chatting up her father over mulled mead for his birthday, the happy couple of the Ten of Pentacles sharing their wealth with her older sister for her wedding day. She’d grown up with the existence of the cards appearing in her home it almost didn’t feel magical.

It wasn’t so much Florina didn’t _believe_ . She just didn’t want to give in to… to _this_. She didn’t want to read her destiny in the cards, bring them out when it was needed.

She wanted to escape this life. She couldn’t wait for her trip to London next week to interview with that humanitarian group. She had tickets booked.

Florina took a breath. “I… I don’t know why I need to call on the cards, though,” she said. That was true enough.

Her mother gave a small smile. As if she knew better. “You’ll learn. After all, Temperance seems to like you.”

Florina stood up. “Not today.”

She made her way for the door from the reading table.

“Yes today!” her mother shouted. “You need to learn by today. You haven’t summoned a card yet!”

“Why do I even need to learn? You let Cat pass on learning.”

“Catarina tried for years, to no luck. No cards spoke to her! I can tell Temperance spoke to you!”

That answered one question, but not the other. Florina stormed back to the table. “But why today?”

Her mother picked up the deck and shuffled it. “I tried to teach you before. Every time you come home, I offer. You always refuse. Tonight is the last chance, Florina. You turn twenty-two at midnight.”

Ah yes, her mother often played with stereotypes for her customers, but the woman was no fool. Magic still dealt heavily in tradition.

Twenty-two was a magic year, apparently. Fairy tales liked thirteen, sixteen, some modern ones liked eighteen. Twenty-two was the important number for her family. Probably because that was the number of cards in the major arcana.

“You need to learn to summon. If you don’t by midnight, the magic is gone.”

Her mother dealt out cards. The not-so-celtic Celtic cross. At the bottom  of the staff was Temperance. _Guidance, or attitude to take with regards to fate_ , her mind supplied. _Seek the harmony and ingredients one misses from their life_. Growing up with the cards, both in this form and summoned, made her remember far too many meanings. But why did she remember Temperance so well?

“Nice trick, mother,” Florina said. “I still won’t summon a card. Would it be so bad if the deck loses the magic?”

Her mother looked at her as if she had suggested destroying it. Florina wasn’t _that_ heartless. It was an old copy of the Waite-Colman Smith deck. Probably a first printing. Definitely valuable, even if it wasn’t magic.

“Forget it,” she said. “I need to get some clothes for my interview next week.”

Florina left before her mother could call out that pathetic excuse. She slammed the door behind her and went to her old room. It was technically now a guest room for whoever needed it since she moved to an apartment two years ago, but to her knowledge, no one used it except for her. She locked the door behind her and sat down on the bed, checking her phone for general news, along with making sure her time

She had been ten when she asked for the room to be painted a cool yellow, pale, with a hint of green. These days, she still loved the color. Her bedspread was an old golden orange quilt her grandmother made with help from the Ace of Swords as her needle. She had prints her mother picked from several modern decks as posters around her room. The Merlin Deck’s Moon card had the spot at the head of her bed.

She ignored her stomach when dinner came, and ended up falling asleep before nightfall.

When Florina woke up, it was dark. She was not quite certain what time it was. She looked at her phone, plugged into a wall. 11:30. Next to it, however, was the Tarot deck. Did her mother come in? No, she couldn’t have.

That meant she called on the Knight of Swords to slip in. He was a man. What if she wasn’t dressed?

“Fine,” she muttered. “You want me to keep the deck’s magic alive? I’ll do it for you.”

Now, what card would be good for that. Well, even if the old deck’s magic sometimes seemed more like her family’s, she might as well let the cards decide.

She turned on the light by her bed, just enough for her to read the cards. Florina shuffled the deck and pulled off the top card.

Temperance.

The card her mother put in the spot for guidance that afternoon.

She would bring any card alive before that. Even the Nine or Ten of Swords.

Maybe she could put three cards out and pick the third. A good old-fashioned past-present-future layout. She shuffled the deck and laid out the three cards.

Ten of Cups, Two of Swords. Temperance.

Okay, that might have just been a bad shuffle. Ten-card Celtic Cross it was, then. Florina left the temperance card out while she mixed the rest of the deck together and put it on the bottom of the deck before she set up a third mix.

Now, would she pick Signifier, Attitude, Near future, possible future?

She was not a Temperance, if her behavior meant anything, so Signifier it was. Besides, she was at the bottom of the deck.

She flipped it over, and naturally, her fate (the Knight of Cups was in her near future, apparently) seemed to to think it was funny. Temperance sat there.

“Fine, you want me to wake you so bad? I’ll do it.”

Now, if only she could remember how her mother woke the cards. She always held them close to her heart, the figures upright and facing out.

Then she’d close her eyes, _like so_ , and and—

This was ridiculous. Florina could hardly believe it. Besides, she just knew the motions. She hardly knew what thoughts came forth. There wasn’t any verbal incantation, or if there was, her mother was so in tune with the cards that she didn’t need to speak it any longer.

“Come to life,” she said.

Nothing.

“I summon you.”

Nothing.

“Persona!”

Alright, she didn’t expect that one to have an effect, but it was worth a shot.

There was nothing to say, apparently. Not something short and easy. She had, she cracked her eye open and looked at her clock, fifteen minutes to do this before her mother would lose her little helpers.

Maybe if she just imagined the cards as they came to life. She’d seen it happen often enough. It kind of floated from her mother’s or grandmother’s hands and had a body fill around it.

The wings would come first, she supposed, for Temperance. The idea of wings on a card was an interesting mental image. Then the shoulders, neck, and head. Arms and a torso would grow from there, the shifting robe appearing a half-second after the rest. Two cups would be in her hands, holding the two ingredients, as her hips and legs formed.

Throughout all of this, the wings would grow, much larger than the traditional picture, and Temperance would be light on her feet, if she even stood on them.

The card fell from her hands.

Florina opened her eyes.

Just as she had imagined, Temperance took form. While she strongly resembled the old card, there were small differences, perhaps ones that had come from Florina’s own mind. The blonde hair was more wavy than curly, and the skin was less orange, a beautiful tan color, instead. The gown was slightly more fitted than the one on the card, but beyond a more obvious waistband, there wasn’t that much different about the white gown she knew well.

From her cups, some mixture flowed in the air. It seemed to sparkle.

“Thank you, Florina.”

Those were her first words? Did this mean the magic was in the deck? Or was it a mix of the two.

“Well, Mother and Grandmere can still summon you now, if that was the case, so—”

Temperance laughed. She set aside her cups, and they vanished for the moment. “It’s not just that. Gabi and Luci worry about you.” She sat down on Florina’s bed. “Gabi wants you to bring us with you in your new life.”

Florina swore, if this was some stupid clingy artifact that she couldn’t get rid of until “Blah blah true love,” she was going to scream.

“Y-you’re a deck of cards.”

The card laughed. “I am a card, not a deck, though they are my family. We just want to guide you in your new life.”

What if they were stolen? They were a first printing of what was quite possibly considered _the_ tarot deck. “So you want to be a good luck charm, is that it? You don’t want me to, like, take up my mother’s profession and read for people who may or may not believe?”

“There are better cards to deliver that message. The Knights, perhaps, the Hanged Man, Judgement. I just ask for you to seek temperance.” She laughed. It was that bell-like laughter that seemed to fit fae and angels alike. “Gabi may have chosen to make a profession of us, but Luci didn’t. Nor do you need to make a decision.”

“I love the Waite-Colman Smith deck, but I love a lot of new decks too.”

Temperance just smiled and looked at her. Her form changed slowly. Her hair grew longer and darkened to a rich auburn. Her dress tightened around her body and changed to pink. Florina looked to her old deck. No longer was it the worn old deck she grew up around. Instead, it was curved like an eight. No, an _Infinity_. She had loved looking at the designs of that deck online.

A glamour. She could have any deck she wanted. Her servants could take that form. If she summoned the three of swords, it could be the pincushion as normal, or perhaps, she could get three swans along with it if she focused on the Shadowscapes deck. The Knights could be women in the outfits of Victorian gentlemen if she imagined the Steampunk deck.

It definitely would make the heirloom look less desirable while she was in London.

“I’ll take you with me to London,” Florina said. “You and your family, Temperance. If that’s what Mo—if _you_ want.”

Temperance returned to her previous form and her blue eyes sparkled. “Will you call on us every day to help guide you?”

Every day? How long could she pull that off without housekeeping staff or someone else noticing? This was an old family spell, an old family heirloom. Old games and books got one thing right. People liked to chase away magic, so it had to be kept secret. There was no school for this kind of thing. Her family was the only one she saw anything magic with, even if it got to a point where it was almost mundane in its magic.

“Call you, like, you here?” She gestured to Temperance, sitting on her bed, hawklike wings curled up in an uncomfortable position.

“We like to come out like this, it’s why Gabi likes to bring us out. At the very least, read for the day every morning. I promise we’ll only give advice, not try to read the future.”

Florina could do that. She grew up around the cards well enough that she could read, even if she wasn’t as skilled as her mother. “I can carry you in my purse too. You might not be able to see London, but,” she paused a moment. “Are you aware as a card? I never asked Mother that.”

Temperance frowned. “Somewhat. It’s cloudy when we’re all together. Especially when I’m in the middle of the deck. I’d like to visit other places though. We’ve not left this house in years, and even this city has been our only view for decades.”

“I’ll still carry you all in my purse,” she said. If they all had temperaments like Temperance, she might just let a few others out to talk to. The company would be much appreciated in a new city, at least. She knew the Three of Cups and the Tens of Cups and Pentacles were generally jovial, and she wondered how the Knights and Pages would react to modern interpretations. The Aces would also have bodies, not be mere props.

The Queens and Kings were more likely to be best kept unsummoned. The few times she saw any of them, they were fairly set in their ways, and lived up to their roles in history, and not just their meaning.

Temperance smiled at the thought.

“However, once I come back, you’ll be with Mother again.”

Temperance looked at her for a moment. “Well, your time in London is all I can ask.” With those words, she faded, leaving nothing but her card on the orange quilt made by the Ace of Swords.

Florina put Temperance on the top of the old deck and set it on top of her nightstand. She looked at her phone again. 12:01.

“Well, happy birthday to me. Guess Mother got a present from me.”

It should have been the other way around. She wasn’t going to start her birthday mad, so she drifted back to sleep.

When she woke up, she almost forgot the talk with a card. The fact she summoned them herself.

And she had promised to take them with her to London. Shit. Why had she done that?

Oh yes, because Temperance seemed to be what she needed, if the card kept showing up in her spreads. Could she back out of that promise?

She changed into something else, especially since if that was the case, her mother was going to need a new deck for the time being, and that meant leaving the house. She could actually get some nice interview clothes as well.

Florina picked up the deck, unlocked the door, and walked out. The smell of sausages and vegetable omelettes filled the air. Her father must be cooking a birthday breakfast.

She walked down the hallway, guided by her nose, and turned the corner into the kitchen. Her mother and grandmother were at the table, and her father still was over the griddle. It looked like pancakes were also in the picture, to her excitement.

She put the deck down first. It was gentle. They were at least somewhat aware of the outside world, it seemed. “I believe you asked the Knight of Swords to pass on a message, Mother. Grandmere.”

Her grandmother just smiled and dug through the deck. She took the Ace of Wands out of the deck and held it in her hand.

The card’s hand and wand were summoned for a few seconds before it turned back into a card. “The deck still works, Gabi. You still can speak with the cards.”

Her mother grinned. “So, who was it you called? Hopefully not the Queen of Swords. She fits you, but I don’t want you scared.”

She wasn’t going to admit it was Temperance. Not after the fight the other day. She hadn’t even thought they would care about that.

“The Star.” That was probably believable.

Her mother clicked her tongue. “Be honest, Rina. The cards demand it from us in payment for their services.”

Florina sighed. “Temperance.”

Her grandmother nodded her head. “Good choice. She lives up to her name.”

Not when she demanded she come to London during her trip next week. Not just her, the whole _family_.

“Enough of your magic talk,” her father said with a smile. “There’s fresh blueberries at the store today, so I mixed them into the pancakes.”

Blueberry pancakes. The only kind better than plain. At least, consistently better than plain ones.

She could ask her mother for the deck later, if the cards didn’t tell the woman.

Breakfast, at least, was quite quiet after that.

She smiled and stood up.

“So, you want a nice outfit for your birthday,” her grandmother said. “Something for your interview next week.”

“I’m going to get it. I said I would yesterday, but I forgot.”

Her grandmother pulled out her wallet and wrote a check. When she handed the check to Florina, she gasped. “Grandmere, this is a lot.”

“You need a good outfit, my flower. Besides, it’s not a designer label amount, but I want to make sure this fits you perfectly, love.”

Florina smiled. “Thank you. It means a lot to me, really.”

With that, she put the check in her pocket and went to grab her phone and purse. “I hope there’s no midday plans. I probably will be back by dinner.”

Her father laughed. “Your favorite restaurant awaits for that.”

She smiled and went through the front door.

Shopping was nice, especially since she wasn’t as bound to find something that was good enough for her budget. She found a few nice suits, but then narrowed it down to one she liked best, and hoped her grandmother wouldn’t mind that she also got some nice shoes to go with it.

As she started to make her way back home, she saw her mother leave the bookstore near the shop she was at.

“Florina, I just wanted to get a few things. After all, I found out just what you promised last night, so I need a new deck.”

She felt her cheeks heat up as she remembered the intimate moment between her and Temperance. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Mother.”

Her mother smiled. “Don’t claim ignorance. I got a nice case for the cards, so they can stay together. I know it makes it harder for them to know what’s going on, but I don’t want them getting lost, you know.”

London was a ways away. “I’m sure they’ll appreciate the case. It would look nice on your fortune table, too.”

“Now, we should get home and cleaned up. I got you another gift, too. But no peeking.”

She wasn’t a child any longer. Surprises weren’t needed for her birthday.

Thankfully, the rest of the day would probably be considered normal. Neither her mother nor grandmother summoned any other cards, and dinner was always fun. Her mother’s gift was quite nice, as well. It came from another store, a nice leather purse. As much as Florina loved bright prints, she had thought about just having her wallet with her during the interview. The new purse was a rich black leather and had enough space for her wallet, passport, the tarot cards, and a trade paperback.

Then her day came for her trip to London. She had a full day or two on either side of the interview to just enjoy the big city, the result of doing her best to save up for a trip after graduation. The interview was everything she wanted, and it seemed she wasn’t going alone.

She double-checked she had the old deck in her new purse, along with everything else she needed. She promised a trip to Temperance, even if she wasn’t certain just why. The card had just been so kind to her, and excited about her future.

Florina kept thinking about the time talking with Temperance. At no point had she done what she expected the card to do. Tell her how summoning them was in her veins, that she couldn’t get rid of it, and accept her life.

No, it was more of a middle ground. Do what she loved, read with them while she was there. Remember her roots, but she didn’t have to be defined by them.

At least, that’s what she got from the talk. She hoped she understood the card right.

When she checked in to her hotel, Florina took the cards out of the box. “So, I remember Temperance changing to the infinity deck. Might I have some other deck, please?”

She held it in her hands and thought about the decks she looked at the art for. One of her hands pet the deck softly. As she did, the faded blue heraldic rose-and-lily pattern disappeared as her hand passed by it and changed to a brown pattern with gears. A sword, wand, pentacle, and cup surrounded the main gear.

The edges were crisp and new, not the slightly frayed look of a 100-year-old deck.

She didn’t much care to do a reading for the moment, but she flipped through the cards, looking at each design. She wondered how the aces would feel, as humans and not mere hands, the changes death and most of the knights and pages would feel about taking feminine form. The Knight of Cups would probably quite like the form. The few times she saw them, they were open to experiences.

She found Temperance. A white shirt with pale khaki vest and trousers and a cream underbust corset. Bright copper mechanical wings and brown hair. Two gears drawing water up like magic into a floating pool between them. Brown hair in a braid over her left shoulder.

The card pulled itself from her hand and the woman took form. This time she didn’t have cups, or gears. Her eyes were brown that day, and full of excitement, just as before. “So, this is London?”

“This is a hotel room,” Florina said. “But if you want to see London, there’s a Window over there. We’re next to Kensington Gardens.”

The hotel was not cheap, but she’d done her best to balance a nice location with inexpensive cost. She had to crane her neck to look at the gardens, but it was better than being somewhere nondescript.

Temperance ran over and looked out, resting her hands on the sill. “Wow, so many people.”

“There’s something I wanted to ask you,” she said. “I know the cards well enough to know interpretations. I grew up in my mother’s house, after all. But what interpretation was it you wanted to pass on to me? Why did you jump the deck to ask me to summon you?”

She turned around. “I told you, Gabi wants you to be with us.” She walked away from the window. “I admit I think her view of me being in your life is stronger than it should be. She hopes you don’t get this job.”

Florina noticed the careful phrasing. Her mother didn’t want it.

“And you?”

“I think you need a balance. If this job will make you happy, I want you to get it.” She smiled. “Family is important to me. I have seventy seven members of my own. Like my cups, or gears in this case.”

Temperance summoned the gears, though no water flowed either way with them. “I seek balance. Balance isn’t always a kilogram of feathers and kilogram of steel.” She shifted her hands from  equal distance from her center as she continued. “Sometimes, you just need to shift the fulcrum so you might need only a hundred grams of steel.” Her left hand pulled in a bit. “Or just one feather.” She pulled her left hand away only to draw her right close to her heart.

The gears disappeared. “In your case, a week of readings is all you need. Maybe summon others each day.”

It made sense to her. Florina wasn’t exactly a scientist, but she vaguely remembered the talk about how scales worked.

“If I get this job, I’m not planning to forever leave Mother, Papa, and Grandmere,” she said. “I’d visit for the holidays, at least. And I’d gladly invite them to visit me.”

“A kilogram of feathers and ten grams of lead, then,” Temperance said. “It’s clear you love family, even if they can sometimes weigh you down when you have them in excess, Rina.”

It surprised Florina that she used that nickname. Cat was the main person who called her Rina. Sometimes her parents or grandmother did when they were pleased. She didn’t know how Temperance picked it up. Still, it sounded nice on her lips.

“By the way, what day is your interview?”

“Two days from now. I’m thinking about being a tourist and going to the Eye tomorrow. It’s probably going to be crowded, and I’ll wait a while, but there’s some good views. Maybe go to one of the museums too.”

“I think that will be a lucky day, then. Don’t forget to read with us in the mornings.”

Temperance walked towards her. She seemed to float, even in her new Victorian garb. Her feet seemed to have no weight. She stood in front of Rina, her copper wings pulled back. For a second, Florina thought Temperance just might kiss her.

She pulled back at the last second. “Oh, sorry. I got caught up for a second. You probably need to adjust to the room.”

“I’ll read tomorrow morning,” Florina said. “As you asked. I’ll bring you and the others with me on the Eye as well. Though you should try and keep quiet. The room should only have one person. If they hear you or any of your siblings, I’ll get charged almost double.”

That made Temperance laugh. She quickly put her hand over her mouth and eyes widened. An apology of sorts. “Understood. I pray we give you good advice while you’re here. And good luck.”

Temperance disappeared into her card again. When Rina put the card back on top of the deck, the back changed back to the old first-printing Waite-Colman Smith back.

When Rina woke up the next day, she shuffled the deck as she tried to decide on a reading.

“Maybe a simple one-card divination for now. What would you like to tell me, old friends?” Her mother always called the deck that. As she shuffled the deck, the back turned to soft purple of a watercolor, with a circle made of what looked like metal, with reliefs of cats, swans, fishes and lizards.

It felt like a day she could use the images of dreams and reality.

The Lovers showed up, with the black haired woman in a lavender dress and the man with pale hair in a cream-and-gold robe. One of the more hopeful designs of the card. It meant making a choice. If this was the card she got from this deck, she felt it meant her choices that day would be happy.

That seemed like a good way to start the day.

She stopped by a bakery as she made her way to the nearest tube station. It was founded by the person at the register, who was glad she wanted to try his croissants.

The day was filled with energy, even as others took the bench in the middle of her cab. She didn’t care about that.

When they reached the peak, she took the cards out and looked at them. It was a view she hoped they could take in, somehow. Let them know that Temperance didn’t lie about new sights. She quickly put the deck back in their new case after a few seconds.

When she got back, she thought about calling Temperance again, but that moment the afternoon before, the almost kiss. What did it mean? Would Rina have let her?

The idea seemed quite nice, Rina had to admit. She’d probably have soft lips, and kissing her would feel like she was just as weightless as Temperance walked.

She summoned The Hermit instead. The cards knew she needed what the grey-cloaked man with a warmly-lit lantern could give her.

“What brings me to you, child?” The old man said. “And what gives me this new form?” He looked into the mirror, trying to make sense of everything.

“Temperance taught me I can change the image of this deck is the answer to your second question. As to the first, I want company. Pray be quiet, though. This is not a home with my mother and grandmother.”

The man blew out the candle in his lantern and set it aside. “I understand that quite well. You are on your own quest, no? Much like I always am.”

Rina nodded her head. “I’m—I’m trying to practice summoning cards.” Not that she expected to do it much longer. If this job in London didn’t work out, she could look around for another job she knew here, or maybe some other city. She didn’t want to be stuck at home, even if the house guests were generally more pleasant.

“I’m sure you’ve been told this repeatedly, child, but do not lie. That is not why you summoned me. Tell me of your own search. Perhaps I can give advice better as myself.” He slowly walked to a desk in the room and turned the chair around so he faced her.

Rina sat down. She talked about her life at university, the job she applied to, everything. At least, everything about what was mundane. She didn’t much care for the summoning and the almost-kiss Temperance gave her.

The Hermit proved himself a good listener, especially when he caught a gap. “I’m not the first you summoned, but who did you before? Why did you summon that one first?”

“I’d rather not say,” she said. “I won’t lie, but it is unimportant.”

The Hermit narrowed his eyes at her, as if he could look through her. “Why might it be unimportant?”

She couldn’t answer that question.

“I know nothing of matters of the heart. I contemplate much, but when it comes to love, even friendship, I cannot fathom those feelings. I am alone. Should you want help with decisions of the mind, I am here, though.”

With that, he disappeared into his card, and he fell to the floor.

Rina put the Hermit on the top of her deck and let the cards return to their usual form of the old Waite-Colman Smith deck. She put them in their case.

The day wasn’t over. She should do what made her happy, and that meant maybe she could find some nice little restaurant for dinner in the neighborhood. Or go for a walk around Kensington Gardens.

Both were good ideas. She put the case in her purse and walked out of the room.

The next day was the day of her interview. It was fairly early, so she didn’t have much time. She looked at her deck. She didn’t feel like changing how it appeared to her today. A traditional look fit how she felt. Something more than a simple 1-card meditation was needed, but she didn’t have the time to think about something too complicated, like a Celtic Cross.

Three Card Spread. From left to right, it would be the situation, the challenge, and the advice.

The Knight of Swords represented the first. She had to laugh. He was the most suitable for that, acting on communication. The challenge revealed itself as the Tower. That wasn’t ominous at all. Well, she’d look out for trick questions if that was what this old deck thought she would face as a challenge. The Advice was perfect. Strength. Even if it wasn’t the card in question, she would have thought of it to counter the Tower. She gathered her cards together and gave a small kiss on the back of the deck.

She imagined Temperance there. Kindness, excitement, and curiosity in her eyes.

That would definitely be a question to ask later. Some other card.

She put on her new suit and shoes. There was something tight about the shoes, and she knew it would probably need a long bath at the end of the day, but she didn’t have room to put a pair of shoes, especially the dress shoes, in her purse.

Florina grabbed a tart from the bakery she discovered the day on her way to the tube. She pulled up directions for getting to the building her interview was in, and focused on what was coming.

Transferring in the tube was more difficult and timely than she thought, even with a day behind her practicing it, and just missed one of the trains. At least it was morning rush and another was due soon. Still, it made her worry she’d be late.

Florina made it to the clerk at the desk with five minutes to spare before her interview. Fifteen minutes would have been better, but at least she wasn’t late.

The cards had some magic in them, Florina supposed. They were generally more accurate when read by her mother. She always figured it was a case of her mother’s skills at cold reading, and perhaps a bit of sleight of hand, to put relevant a relevant card or two in the right place.

However, that reading this morning turned out to be quite true. Perhaps it was a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy, or the fact interviews always seemed tricky in stories that she read into things.

That reading did help her remember to keep her head cool, to think through the questions and not answer with what she thought was the easy or obvious answer immediately. She didn’t try to take too long, but answering like it was just a game of word association was not the right choice.

Her interviewer seemed quite pleased by the answers she gave, and never pushed her to answer too quickly. It must be what they wanted in the position.

She was glad she had sent everything she needed ahead of time.

She didn’t summon anyone that evening. As she bathed, her worries about the day bubbled up to her mind. Rina may have followed the advice, kept a cool head and not jumped to answers, and it seemed to work. That said, her mind went several places. What if they didn’t want people who thought through decisions? What if she didn’t know the people well enough. She couldn’t cold read like her mother seemed to do with her clients.

Rina fell asleep before dinner.

When she woke up the next day, it was five in the morning, and her stomach roared from hunger.

Breakfast first, then she could head back to the room and read. She didn’t know what she wanted to do, other than something fun to take her mind off the interview.

The cards were still in her purse when she left to find a place for a good full breakfast. Rina just realized that when she reached for her wallet and saw the case there. Well, maybe she could read the cards in the park. It didn’t look like rain was due for some time, and she enjoyed the walk she had there the other day.

She had done a one card spread the first day, and a three-card spread yesterday. Maybe something with five cards would be logical, but what question should she ask? What spread would be good. She wasn’t much for signifiers.

A horseshoe spread would probably work, Rina decided as she made her way to the park. It took her some time to find a nice spot to sit down. A playground that was fairly empty for the moment. There was a picnic table there, which made a good spot to do the reading she promised over a week ago.

When she felt the cards were shuffled just right, she set out the five cards.

“What should I do today?” She asked.

While it had the horseshoe shape, she tried to find ideas for something that fit more as advice than fortelling.

Maybe she could have it in time, find five things to do that day. While she didn’t much care for reading cards based on appearances alone, that might also be a good idea. She wished she had changed the cards to a different deck if she knew that was how she would read it, but they probably wouldn’t like changing like that after a reading began.

The first card was the Hierophant. Westminster Abbey, perhaps? That would be a good hour or two in there, and she was a good half hour away.

Next was Chariot. Maybe that meant just go somewhere via the tube. It would take a while to travel to the next spot. Third proved her assumption right about travel time being key, as she saw the Tower. If this was more serious, she would worry, but this was just an image. The lightning made her think of the skies, so Rina decided that meant she’d take a boat to Greenwich and the Royal Observatory.

Fourth came the Six of Wands. That was tricky to decide the meaning of. It had a horse, so maybe the Horseguard by Embankment? That seemed more like something to do between Westminster Abbey and the Royal Observatory. Or maybe she could catch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace as she made her way back, if it was at the right time.

Finally, there was the World. A woman dancing in the sky.

That probably was meant as it should be, successful completion. The end of the day. She could head back after that.

She gathered her cards as quickly as possible, in case someone came with a child. She didn’t want to be the one to explain tarot to a kid. It wasn’t like Santa or the Tooth Fairy. Old lies that have existed for centuries. Tarot wasn’t divination. Not to her. While her deck seemed to have some ability to know the present far from her, if she had any other deck in her hands, then it was a reflection of the world as she knew it. This deck, she felt perhaps would be able to provide advice, at least to her family if they asked the question.

She forgot to ask that question the other day. She’d have to ask when her day was over.

Rina made her way to Westminster Abbey. She didn’t have enough to ask for the audio tour, but she found quite a bit of information. She stared at all those in the Poet’s Corner, and got a snack by the Dean’s Yard.

The boat from Westminster to the Royal Observatory had rain threaten to fall, and she bought a marked-up umbrella as she reached Greenwich. No thunder came, but the plaza with the marked prime meridian was plenty wet. She worried about asking someone to hold her phone to take a picture of her with one foot in each hemisphere, but the Seven of Swords had not yet brought itself to her attention, so she asked a stranger, her voice shaking with anxiety as she let herself be a tourist.

She realized missed the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace on the boat trip back to Westminster. She checked and found out it happened before noon. The rain had stopped, so she made her own decision to still walk from the Westminster Docks back to her hotel.

It wasn’t a long walk, but it was not short, either. Still, she had taken transportation for the most part, so she enjoyed the chance to stretch her legs again.

An hour later, she made her way to her room, legs surprised by the walking.

She reached for her deck, wondering if she should call Temperance. Maybe the card would like to hear what her day was like after the reading in the garden.

Rina stopped as she started to search the deck for her. Why did she want to do that? Maybe Temperance was ashamed of what happened on the first day in London, and didn’t want to be called upon, especially for something that required advice.

The Hermit made it clear he knew nothing to give her advice. The Queen of Cups would probably be the best, though she wouldn’t be the nicest with the advice.

The Knight of Cups then. True, the knights acted, not inspired, but it would help her, in the end.

She held the card to her heart and started to imagine the Knight taking shape. She refused to let the horse appear, but that wouldn’t be too troublesome.

The form in front of her was not the Waite-Smith Knight of Cups, but the Steampunk one. She looked to the deck and saw that form. She remembered when she shaped it like that, and frowned.

“Gabi doesn’t change us, love,” The Knight said. They had a rich alto voice in this form. “She likes the old form we’ve grown used to. But so many artists have taken their own interpretations, and I thought perhaps it would be interesting to try this appearance.”

They walked over to the mirror and smiled. “Hm, I may just take this form every time. I’m quite pretty.” Their hands ran down their side exploring the curves a bit. "Well, not every time, but it's nicer than my normal shape."

How did she not know that the Knight of Cups was so narcissistic? “I didn’t summon you so you could check yourself out. I want you to answer my questions. You're the best for some that are bothering me."

The Knight looked over to her. “Oh, sorry about that. I hope you do not mind my choice to take this form.”

She shook her head. “One form is as good as any. I need advice on a few things. Some are questions about the deck. Some are ones you are best meant for.”

“Questions of the heart,” they said. They walked to the bed and sat down. “I’m quite good with that. Cups turned into Hearts, after all. I act on my own, but I can help others act on theirs. Which questions first, love?”

“About the deck.”

The knight gave a wide smile and twirled a hand in their brown hair. “Go ahead.”

Those questions were easy enough, and most of the answers made sense to her. How she could will the deck to shift appearances, and the cards could. Where the balance between her family and deck lay. In that case, it was mostly on her family, but being around them for so long, the cards had actual wills of their own and a bit of weak divination magic in them.

“My next question,” Rina asked. “Has anyone in my family fallen in love with a card?”

The Knight laughed and stood up, playing with their horse-head cane. “Ah, you are far from the first. I think every member of your family who could summon loved at least card once. A great aunt and great-great uncle both never married because they loved deeply. The Empress is still heartbroken after all these years, though the Page of Wands has moved on. Luci and I once had a—”

“I don’t want to know about my grandmother’s love life, thank you.”

“Sorry,” the Knight of Cups said. “What I want to say is that it is normal for your family to love us. Not just for our skills and occasional advice. Not just without romance. If you have a crush on a card, well, the crush might be more.”

“I’ve only seen her twice though.” Rina pulled her feet onto the bed and tried to hide her face. “There’s joy in her eyes, and I thought she’d have a calmer tone.”

“She.” They were calm. “I don’t know which card you speak of. I only know those I’ve met. Perhaps you can tell me.”

The Hermit seemed to want to know out of a thirst for attention. The Knight, despite their love of themself, was able to help. They sat back on the bed and pat her back.

“You can take as much time as you want, Florina.”

She wasn’t love for the moment. Maybe they were capable of being serious and caring when not being pushed for advice.

It took her a minute to find the single word. “Temperance.”

Rina looked up at the knight. Their eyes were a bit widened, but more confusion than shock. “I can’t say I expected that one, but if her meaning means anything, I can see it. Speak with her tomorrow. I think I’m right. She’ll be honored.”

With those words, the Knight retreated into their card, a smile on their face.

They did leave her with something to think about. At least they were hopeful, but perhaps that was how they saw all relationships. Honestly, she needed someone to give voice to something other than her doubts.

It was her last day in London. The next day, she’d be leaving to head back to her family home.

She looked to the deck and let it change to the Twilight Realm Tarot that day. She shuffled the deck. Two short readings. Yes-or-No.

“Will I get called back?” She asked.

She saw the Ace of Cups there. Aces were generally a good sign in yes or no questions.

She flipped the top card over and shuffled again. She could ask about Temperance. The deck knew her well enough over the past few days that she trusted the cards to know that answer. They had their own wills, after all.

Before she could even ask, her hands slipped in her overhand shuffle. A few cards spilled out, though only one flipped over.

A purple ghostlike woman with her arms spread out. Temperance.

That was all the answer she needed.

The deck changed back to the Waite-Colman Smith form she knew well, with a woman in a white gown and blond hair mixing the contents of two cups.

She held the card to her chest and called Temperance forth.

“Rina,” she said. “I—I hadn’t expected you to call me again so soon. I mean, um.”

“It’s been three days,” she said. “Almost four.”

Temperance blushed. “I didn’t even let myself come in your readings. How have you thought of me?”

Rina smiled. “Often, and fondly. I spoke with a few other cards. They seem nice.”

“Seem nice,” Temperance said. “I suppose so. My family is my family, of course.”

“I think my mother might need to keep her new deck. You reminded me of how magical it all felt when I was a child.”

Temperance’s eyes widened at the thought. “Did they give you the job? I’d love to live here in London. It’s so pretty, from what I sensed. I’m so jealous of the Chariot for being read outside.”

Rina shook her head. “I haven’t yet, but knowing this old deck, if I get an Ace, I trust it more than another deck’s Ace.”

“Well, why did you call me. You’re hopeful, so you don’t need reassurance, or advice.”

“Last time I called you, you almost kissed me.”

The color disappeared from Temperance’s face.

“How serious were you about that? The Knight of Cups assures me these relationships happen all the time.”

Temperance smiled at that. Her shoulders fell from a tense position and wings gave as small of flap as they could manage. She almost floated as she walked up to Rina. “I am quite serious, my Florina. You’ve taken my message to heart, it seems.”

“Remember my roots, but I need not be bound to them.” She pressed her lips against Temperance’s for a brief second. “I know how I can remember. I can remember my roots in London, with my family’s old deck by my side.”

Temperance kissed her after those words. Her sleeve fell back as she cradled Rina’s head. She felt herself take a few steps back and fell onto the hotel bed. Temperance curled her wings around them like a cloak.

She wanted to wake up every morning like that.

Temperance only pulled away when Rina’s phone rang. Rina felt around for it on the nightstand and picked it up.

“Is this Florina Ardelean?” the voice on the phone said.

“It is,” she replied 

“I know your interview was only two days ago, but we finished ours yesterday morning. Apparently HR would like to meet with you again. 

Florina suppressed a joyful noise in her throat. “It should say I’m not from London.”

“Yes, the sheet does. I know it’s short notice, but could you come in this afternoon? We have a space at three. If that doesn’t work, we can make a tele-interview sometime next week.”

“No, no,” she said. “Three is fine. Same place as two days ago?”

The person on the phone confirmed it.  
  
“I hope to see your company then.”

“Of course. I wish you best of luck.” The well-wishes felt a bit empty, but she would take them.

She hung up and looked to Temperance.

“You have the job?”

“I have another interview. Should I read for it?”

Temperance shook her head. “There’s only one word you’ll need to know today.”

Florina knew the advice she’d give well.

Temperance.

**Author's Note:**

> The Cards and Their Meanings, in order of first mention:
> 
> Temperance: The right thing at the right place at the Right Time  
> Three of Cups: A spontaneous, unexpected joy or pleasure  
> Ten of Pentacles: Stable and abundant Life  
> Ace of Swords: An opportunity or new way of thinking (I admit I mostly just picked it because I wanted something needle shaped. Kind of fits, though)  
> Knight of Swords: One who acts in the realm of communication and ideas  
> Nine of Swords: The power of worry  
> Ten of Swords: Surrender to an unpleasant situation  
> Ten of Cups: Happy Home  
> Two of Swords: A conflict of heart and mind  
> Knight of Cups: One who acts in the realm of emotion  
> The Lovers: Making a decision that makes your heart glad  
> The Hermit: Retreating from distractions to determine your own truth.  
> The Tower: An unexpected event that changes everything  
> Strength: Calm control that soothes the situation.  
> The Heirophant: Living faith in everyday life  
> The Chariot: The triumph of will in difficult circumstances  
> The Six of Wands: Recognition of achievement  
> The World: Successful completion  
> Ace of Cups: An opportunity for an emotional experience or growth
> 
> All these meanings come from _Tarot for Beginners_ by Barbara Moore.


End file.
